Boston Globe Dumps Crux

Edit: John Allen will never report the real etiologies, goals and malignant personalities behind the sexual abuse scandal.

BOSTON — The Boston Globe has said it will no longer be running its Catholic news site CruxNow.com as of April 1. Vatican analyst and associate Crux editor John L. Allen Jr. says he hopes to continue the site with other partners.

The announcement comes after less than two years of operation for the Catholic site. The Boston Globe cited financial reasons for the decision. It said that Allen is “exploring the possibility of continuing it in some modified form, absent any contribution from the Globe.”

Allen, a longtime Vatican reporter who is widely respected in his field, told CNA that he and Crux Vatican correspondent Ines San Martin will continue the site.

http://m.ncregister.com/daily-news/the-boston-globe-cuts-ties-with-crux-catholic-news-site/#.VuVGSlI8LKD

Islamists Capture the Largest Christian City on the Nineveh Plain: 100,000 Christians in Flight

Jihadis of the Islamic States (IS)

 (Baghdad) The jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) have conquered the largest Christian town in the Nineveh plain in northern Iraq. 100,000 Christians are fleeing. Organizations speak of a "humanitarian catastrophe." How long will the West will still look away? Christian solidarity is really not a category for the "neutral" Western state doctrine ?

This past July 20, the Christians of Bach Dida (Qaraqosh) was still   a haven to the monks of the 1,600 year old Syrian Catholic monastery Mar Behnamr from which they'd been driven.'  The Islamists had  occupied the monastery and offered the monks with the alternative of "conversion" to Islam, escape or death. The Kurdish Perschmerga brought the monks after a flight of several hours to the Christians of Bach Dida. Now the city which is barely 30 kilometers southeast of Mosul has been conquered by the Islamists. The Iraqi army has abandoned the Nineveh plain after the first advance without fighting. The Christians have organized, despite a lack of weapons,  a kind of militia, but were hopelessly inferior to the battle-hardened jihadists, funded by the oil emirates and Washington.

Christians Defenseless - Radical Cleansing

Christians on the Run

Bach Dida, also known under the name Qaraqosh, is the largest Christian town in Iraq. The city is the largest Christian church in the country on the Euphrates and Tigris. The Christians have in their flight, as far as possible, the preserved in the city and taken venerated relics. Others were buried. They fear that the churches be desecrated or destroyed. The Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk Yousif Thomas Mirkis-Sulaimaniya, a Dominican, speaks of an "unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe" and a "tragic situation". He feared that the largest church in the city could be misused by the Islamists in a command center, as it has already happened in other places. "A show of force," said the Archbishop. "Tens of thousands of people are terrorized and expelled, as we speak. We suffer a disaster that is hard to describe in words."

Not only Bach Dida, but the entire area was conquered by the Islamists, as well as the other Christian places of the valley Kayf, Bart and Ella Karamlesh. The area is "cleaned". Wen the Islamists did not immediately shoot (men) or abducted (women) has only the alternative of "escape or death". Since the Iraqi state power no longer exists in the province of Nineveh, hoped the Christians  to protect the Kurdish Peshmerga. These are ready to offer the Christians in the Kurdish area protection, but do not want to get involved in direct combat due to lack of weapons with the Islamists outside of Kurdistan. This means that the majority Christian area of ​​Qaraqosh is defenseless.

Conquest with the Cry Allahu Akbar  - Mass Executions

"We are witnessing a genocide by cleansing. How long will the world just watch? We called on the UN Security Council to intervene immediately. Here  a disaster of the largest proportions is taking place. Why does nobody help us?

The nearby town of Tal Kayf was conquered by the Islamists: "The Islamists arrived at night. There were shots. Long convoys of armed fighters of the Islamic State invaded the city. WIth the cries of Allhu Akbar they proclaimed their conditions," said a Christian from the valley Kayf, managed to escape in the Kurdish capital of Erbil.

In addition to the Christians, the minority Yazidi were driven as well. Even Muslims took to flight.  About 500 men of the city were executed by the Islamists, hundreds of women, especially Christian women were deported as slaves of the Islamists, says Tempi, citing Iraqi sources.

Patriarch Sako: "People Are Suffering Here Via Crucis "

The Chaldean Patriarch Raphael I Louis Sako of Baghdad, who had directed a desperate cry for help to Pope Francis a few days ago, said: "They create a void, an emptiness. In Syria, there is an intact army fighting against the Islamists. In Iraq, there is no army that can protect anyone. The Kurds withdrew into their territories. They only have light weapons.The Islamists are very well armed. Thousands of people are on the streets on the run. Their goal is uncertain. If no help comes, droit 50,000 of them the death by hunger and thirst. There are women, children, old people. It is necessary to mobilize the conscience of public opinion in all countries. The people on the run, walk, experience their Via Crucis.

Asianews has now started a  concrete relief effort, which will find imitation hopefully also in the  rest of the world.  Donations will be collected under the keywords: "Adopt a Christian from Mosul." With five euros a day a refugee can be helped. The money will be sent to the Patriarchate of Baghdad to coordinate the relief effort for the persecuted Christians.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Asianews / tempos

Trans:; Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMGD

Many Catholic Youth in Europe Tend to Abstinence

Genf (kathnews/CF)  Youth from the ages of 15 in Israel are far less sexually active than those of the same age in Europe.  The Jewish State showed in a comparable study on this subject that included 35 countries, was among the last places, namely 32.  The international questionnaire was commissioned in connection with the World Health Organization.  From the study, which was led in Israel by Doctor Yossi Harel Fisch and Dr. Iron Buneil of Bar-Ilan University, it says that compared to the youth of 1998, today's youth have become more conservative:  Of the 874 Jewish boys and girls 18,5% said that they had had sexual intercourse.  14 years ago they were still 27%.  The highest early age to have sexual intercourse -- according to this international Report -- were the youth of Greenland:  there it showed that 59.8% had already experienced sexual intercourse at 15.  In addition the 2nd place and 3rd places were also northern European countries:  Denmark (37.7%, Sweden (31.6%), even including Austria (31.6%) -- with England in 5th place with 31 %.

The Highest Abstinence Rate in Years: in two Catholic Countries

After the lower "Sex-numbers" come after Israel, the Ukraine (18%), Poland (15.7%) and Slovakia (12.7%).   With that indicates two Catholic countries (Poland, Slovakia) have the highest abstinence levels among their boys and girls -- or to put it another way:  the lowest sex quotas.  -- Not to forget the religiously stamped Ukraine.  Already, in the past two years the results of this international report was similar:  even then Slovakia and Poland showed the highest levels of abstinence.  The youth in Germany belonged according to a report in 2010 among the most "abstinent" countries (it sits in the lowest area, respectively the 11th from the last place: directly after Portugal).

Back to Israel and the most recent study.   The director of the Department for the Prevention of Psychosocial Damage in the Education Ministry, Hilla Segal, explained to the site "Ynet":  "We have become attentive that parents and teachers in Israel are increasingly showing a more conservative mind."  The expert continued:  "Sex in early ages leaves emotional and psychic damage.  It is increasingly clear that youth in these ages are often under pressure to engage in sexual relationships and  this harms them later."

From kath.new....

Muslims Attack Catholic Church in India

Srinagar (AsiaNews) - An "planned" attack, with the clear goal of "scaring to death the Christian community. The chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir must act to ensure security for the faithful and places of worship", says Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), reacting to AsiaNews to the arson attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Srinagar, two days ago. The main entrance was completely destroyed, but the timely intervention of a security guard prevented the fire from degenerating. Cameras captured two attacker who targeted the Church in the evening (20.30 hours the local, ed) their names are still unknown. All Christian communities in the valley of Kashmir have expressed solidarity with the Catholic Church.

The films show two men taking advantage of the temporary absence of the security guard. In those moments, the attackers threw petrol and other flammable material at the front door, then set it on fire. Fortunately, the guard came back in time to stop the fire to spreading: the entire building structure is made of wood.

Fr. Mathew Thomas, pastor of Holy Family, told AsiaNews: "What happened to us is very worrying. Watching the video, you understand that it is a premeditated attack, and that the two attackers were well aware of what happens in church. At the end of January, my bike was burnt, we have not found out why, nor who the culprits were. It was clear that even then, the goal was the church. On two other occasions, the Virgin has interceded for us. May She protect us and save us
Link to Asianews...

New Chinese Official Promises Increased Persecutions of Catholics in Hebei

Edit: Did someone say that Communism is dead?

(The portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong hangs behind red flags, raised during the sitting of parliament, and the Chinese national flag (R) in Beijing's Tiananmen Square March 3, 2008/David Gray)

The hardline Chinese official removed last week as Communist Party chief of restive Tibet has been made head of the province in the centre of contention over China’s Catholics, giving him an influential role in another sensitive religious issue. Zhang Qingli, who gained a reputation as an unyielding Communist Party secretary of heavily Buddhist Tibet, has been appointed party secretary of Hebei, the province surrounding Beijing, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Sunday.

Hebei, with a population of 70 million, is home to roughly a quarter of China’s 8-12 million Roman Catholics.

Zhang, 60, was known for his tough stance against Tibet’s exiled Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama, a man reviled by China as a separatist. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk denies advocating either violence or Tibetan independence. Zhang was in charge of Tibet in 2008 when protests in the regional capital Lhasa gave way to deadly riots that rippled across other ethnic Tibetan areas. After the protests, he rained insults on the Dalai Lama, calling him a “jackal in Buddhist monk’s robes.”

Read further...

Blogs Are Read in the Vatican -- Msgr Tighe About the Vatican and Communications

(Vatikan) There are over 700 messages received as yet for the Vatican Blog Meeting about the new reality of Catholic internet blogs. Msgr Paul Tighe of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications explained this to Katholisches.info. "The great interest in this initiative has been really encouraging for us in our efforts to draw the community of bloggers in conversation in order mostly to encourage and strengthen."

The number of participants will be restricted to 150 places, and the applicants will be organized according to their language, geographic origins and typology of the blog (like personal, institutional or journalist). A key to the greatness of the significance of languages and the continents the 150 participants will be assigned lots.

Next to bloggers from the whole world, there will be those countless people responsible for Catholic internet sights, diocesan sites and the Catholic media work for the meeting.

Msgr. Tighe is concerned that the German language area has been "too little considered". "In the future this will be different." The meeting is only being considered as a "first initiative", in order to get in contact with the "new reality" of bloggers. On the contrary to Catholic radio broadcasters or newspapers there aren't associations and structures for contact persons. "Everything is much more spontaneous and more decentralized" than other media, said Msgr Tighe.

The Vatican "sees the increasing importance" of blogs and "wish to see that they are as quick communication and the dissemination of news increasingly important." The meeting intends recognition of the "diversity" of these "new realities of communication". There is "no roll" in play, if a blog "is more academic, or more interested in Church politics, more for liturgy or more for doctrine, or if it is right or left, progressive or traditionalist." One doesn't want to evaluate, rather "simply to get a view of the face of blogs, in order to come in direct conversation." For it is a fact that "there will be more people are informed about various Blogs", says Msgr. Tighe.

The Papal Office for Social Communications observed "the continual development of blogs", says Tighe. "Today's traditional press agenda -- and the weekly press is just coming to the Internet this moment." It makes it so that there is no systematic oversight of certain pages, says the Secretary of the PCSC. "And thus there is the need the help of blogs to oversee, if and how the message of the Vatican is being received." The blogs are because of their speed, "invaluable barometer", if the message "is understood" and "how it is understood". "Blogs enable us to evaluate the efficiency of our communication", says Msgr Tighe.

The question if blogs are read "even in the higher levels" of the Vatican, was answered by Msgr. Tighte with a decisive "naturally, no question." In this sense the "importance of blogs in the Vatican as a reaction to an outgoing message is considerable." It is a "fact" that the various "blogs are very much read in the Vatican". This naturally happens "peripherally at the individual level introduced by individual coworkers up to decision makers". Which blogs are read depends "on the importance of a blog and of the agreement with its positions," says Msgr Tighe.

The blogger would have other needs than the traditionally accredited journalists. the Vatican is to begin for that reason at the end of May with a new multi-media News portal, which can interface more easily with the new forms of social communication like Facebook and Twitter. All of the relevant offices of the Vatican press service should appear there together: of Radio Vatican, Osservatore Romano, Fides and Vis (Vatican Information Service). This should enable the "concentrated and direct access for bloggers and natural for all who are interested". At first there will be Italian and English language versions, and then there will follow other languages, step by step, "even German".

Msgr Tighe did not want to refer directly to "translation mistakes" and "ambiguous" formulation in several editions of the new youth catechism YouCAT. "Generally" he explained therefore: "Communication must be clear". The Vatican is planning steps for the future that "reinforce online publication and place less emphasis on printed editions". This will enable "not only a rapid, worldwide communication and direct dissemination", rather also "a possibility for quick corrections of eventual errors", says Msgr Tighe. Fundamentally the search for a "understandable, but at the same time, adequate language, for a newer challenge". It is "not easy" to "pull back colleagues who are not familiar with the language of the Church."

On Saturday, April 16th, the list of participants of the Vatican Meeting Blog will be published at the Council for Social Communications www.pccs.va.

Translated from katholisches...

Catholic Priest Removed From San Dimas Church

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A Catholic priest who admitted having a sexual relationship with a high school girl more than 40 years ago was removed his position, and a high-ranking official who oversaw the background checks of priests resigned.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced Friday that the Rev. Martin P. O’Loghlen, who worked at Holy Name of Mary Church in San Dimas, was removed from any priestly activities.

The archdiocese said it was reacting to inquiries from a New York Times reporter researching an article about O’Loghlen.

The 74-year-old priest is accused of having a long-term sexual relationship with the teenage girl beginning in 1960, and seeking her forgiveness later, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Read More: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/02/12/catholic-priest-removed-from-san-dimas-church/

Canon Lawyer: Bishops Have Authority Over the Word "Catholic"

This article comes from the In the Light of the Law blog. --------------------------------------- Lisa Fullam's dangerous advice should be ignored When informed that the Vatican would oppose him, Joseph Stalin shrugged and asked “How many troops does the pope have?” To the dictator, the only views that mattered were those backed-up by men with guns. Lisa Fullam has offered authorities at Catholic Healthcare West / St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix similarly myopic, even dangerous, advice when she suggested that, because the word “Catholic” is not copyright-able, the enterprise should continue to call itself “Catholic” despite Bp. Thomas Olmsted’s threatened prohibition of such use, and simply “let the canonical chips fall where they may.” Apparently Fullam believes that, since men with badges will never show up to enforce a cease-and-desist order (that will never be issued) by a civil court regarding the word “Catholic”, Catholic hospital officials need not worry about bishops tossing a few “canonical chips” their way. I strongly suggest that St. Joseph's seek advice from another expert. If the only criterion for authentic Catholic conduct is “what Church rules are enforceable by civil courts?”, then there won’t be much left of Catholic codes of conduct. Thank God. I don’t want states being the final arbiter of what is acceptable Catholic conduct and what is not, and I would hope that Fullam doesn’t want that, either. But if Fullam’s point is that a bishop’s authority over the use of the label “Catholic” is, absent state enforcement options, nugatory, then she needs to study up on some elementary canon law (and ecclesiology, for that matter). A bishop’s authority over the use of the word “Catholic” is reflected in, e.g., 1983 CIC 216 and 300, and those norms just get the conversation started. Canons 1319 comes next to mind, but an exploration of those options goes beyond what I can cover in blog post. Fullam’s nonchalance about ecclesiastical authority notwithstanding, I suggest that Catholic Healthcare West / St. Joseph's Hospital officials put a careful reading of these and related canons on the agenda for their next meeting. I’m pretty sure that Bp. Olmsted has them memorized. Read more at thevaticanlobby.blogspot.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/j47c

INQUISITION NEWS: Canon Lawyer: Bishops Have Authority Over the Word...: "Amplify’d from thevaticanlobby.blogspot.com Canon Lawyer: Bishops Have Authority Over the Word 'Catholic' This article comes from the ..."